After two years without a doctor, Cowell realised that not having a full-time doctor was costing the community more than its health.

Key points:

The local council estimates not having a doctor is costing Cowell $5 million a year as people shop in larger towns where they have medical appointments

Cowell's pharmacy is filling fewer scripts

Pharmacist Matilda Ramsey is concerned the lack of a full-time doctor could impact on business from grey nomads

The seaside community on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula is serviced by two doctors from Whyalla who each hold a clinic one day a week, but without a full-time doctor, locals and tourists were taking their money elsewhere.

Franklin Harbour Council CEO Chris Smith said not having a doctor was costing the community $5 million a year, which once would have been spent in its main street.

In search of consistent care, locals were routinely travelling an hour or two to larger service centres for doctors' appointments.

"This isn't just talking about doctors, it's talking about the trade that we lose on the main street," Mr Smith said.

"What's happening is that if people go, for example, to Whyalla, or even to Port Lincoln or other towns nearby, to see a doctor, they're tempted while they're there — particularly if there is a major supermarket — to do their shopping," he said.

"They've spent the money to travel, so they say, 'While I'm here let's go shopping because it might be cheaper or more convenient'.

"We're running buy-local campaigns, but you've got to forgive the people really: it's only their instinct that if they are there, they will go to Coles, Woolworths and Bunnings."

The ABC spoke to several people who said they did travel to see the doctor and shopped while they were there, but they didn't want to be named as they believed they were betraying their community.

Scripts take hit

Cowell's pharmacy is one of the local businesses that has been hit the hardest.

Cowell pharmacist Matilda Ramsey said it was definitely quieter.

"Script numbers are how we judge how busy we are, and we are filling fewer," she said.

"If people are having to drive an hour to see a doctor and they need to start their medication straight away, they are most likely going to go to the pharmacy that's around the corner there and get it filled rather than driving back here.

"You can't blame them … if their appointment is in the afternoon they may not even make it back to get it filled here in time.

"Normally in summer I'd come down in the afternoon and there would be a hundred or so scripts for me to check. Now sometimes there will be only 20, so there is a big difference on what we were seeing previously."

Ms Ramsey said it was clear customers were patronising other pharmacies because Cowell's pharmacy was filling far fewer prescriptions for one-off medications.

"They also seem to be filling their first prescriptions elsewhere, and if there are repeats, we will see them then. So we've noticed a definite decrease in things like antibiotics."